Parvitermes Emerson, 1949

Scheffrahn, Rudolf H., 2016, Parvitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) in Central America: Two new termite species and reassignment of Nasutitermesmexicanus, ZooKeys 617, pp. 47-63 : 49-51

Taxon classification Animalia Isoptera Termitidae

Genus Parvitermes Emerson, 1949

Type species.

Nasutitermes brooksi Snyder, 1925. Type: soldier; Cuba, Cienfuegos, Soledad.

Remarks.

The nomenclatural summary for Parvitermes is provided by Krishna et al. (2013). The generic redescription of Parvitermes by Roisin et al. (1996) is relevant to all three Parvitermes species described herein with the exception that Parvitermes mexicanus comb. n. has a shorter first proctodeal segment (P1) compared to all others.

Diagnosis.

The spine arrangement and counter-current orientation of the Parvitermes enteric valve armature (EVA), with the exception of Antillitermes , is unique among all termite genera. In addition to Parvitermes , only three other nasutitermitine genera are found from Mexico to Nicaragua, including Nasutitermes , Subulitermes , and Tenuirostritermes ( Atlantitermes from Nicaragua in Scheffrahn et al. (2005) is an error). Compared to mainland Parvitermes , head capsules of Nasutitermes soldiers are larger and darker (with the exception of Nasutitermes glabritergus Snyder & Emerson, 1949 from Honduras, unpubl. record), those of Subulitermes are much smaller with much narrower cylindrical nasi, and the head capsules of Tenuirostritermes are very constricted near their middle.

Workers and soldiers.

The EVA arises within the second proctodeal segment (P2) which forms a swelling at the terminus of a very long (shorter and thicker in Parvitermes mexicanus ), U-shaped P1. The P2 constricts somewhat at its attachment near the dorsal surface of the third proctodeal segment (P3 or paunch) to form a pear-shaped segment (Fig. 1A). The posterior EV ring (sensu Noirot 2001) of both workers and soldiers is uniquely composed of three keel-shaped pads covered with about 7-15 long spines directed into the P2 lumen (Fig. 1B). The spines are curved or angled counter to the direction of the food flow. The spiny pads are separated with or without additional patches of tiny conical teeth (Figs 1C, 2). In preserved specimens, the Parvitermes spines of each pad are imbedded into a congealed pellet of presumed bacterial cells (Fig. 1C).